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Tuesday, 10 April 2012

SLAVEN BILIC

Last week, just after the leave of
Carvalhal from Beşiktaş when the Turkish newspapers mentioned about a probable
transfer of Slaven Bilic, I immediately checked the Croatian newspapers to
check the rumors. As well known, when the issue is about “transfer” or media is
more likely to publish fantastic fictive stories than real news. However, the
rumors were verified by Croatian newspapers as well, that Biliç had declared he
might think about joining Beşiktaş, following the European Football
Championship.

I have a sort of sympathy to Slaven Biliç,
since I used a photo of him for an article in this blog that I have written
just after the Turkey-Croatia match in Wien in 2008. For some reason, the
sorrow in Biliç’s face, and his attempts to solace the tear drops of his footballers
seemed to be very ingenuous to me. After the loss of Croatia by penalty kicks,
Biliç’s attempts to solace his players like a brother was noticed very clearly.
Like a brother, but not like a godfather, which is the usual visage that we,
Turkish football fans are familiar to see on Turkish trainers?

Three years after, almost five and a half
months before now, when Turkey and Croatia were rooted in play-off match for
the European Football Championship, referring to what I have written previosly
in my blog, I wrote another article relying on a review of Turkish and Croatian
newspapers.

I came up with an interesting thing:
Turkish newspapers were mentioning about Croats fear of this draw because of
their unforgettable unpleasant experience in 2008. When I checked the newspapers
from Croatia, I have seen the cheers for “revenge” and I have seen how they
were happy to have the opportunity for the revenge after three years. Among
this atmosphere of revenge, Slaven Biliç was distinguished with his speeches
free of any hatred discourse. He was mentioning the quality of Turkish team,
but emphasizing that Croatia was a better team. He even had uttered the
opportunity to take the revenge but even that was not enough for the Croatian
media who blamed him to be coward. However, the cool speech of Biliç away from
a hatred discourse made my sympathy towards him to increase.

When I checked his career, I have seen that
I was not wrong about my views on Biliç. The young trainer, who was born in
1968 was shined when he was playing as a defender in Hajduk Split, in the most
brilliant era of Yugoslav football. He was transferred to Karlsruhe with a
transfer fee of 750.000 Pounds. After a successful three years experience in
Karlsruhe, he had gone to West Ham United with a transfer fee of 1.3 million Pounds.
When West Ham was struggling not to relegate, he was offered a transfer of 4.5
million Pounds to Everton. However, he refused this offer until August
mentioning that he could not leave his team in the middle of the season.

They say, “One who only claims to know
football, does not know football either.” Biliç, a graduate of Faculty of Law,
who plays in rock groups from time to time, has a distinct character who does
not limit his life with football. Thus,
his vision of football goes beyond imagination of many others. Unlike
the Croatian nationalist leader Franjo Tudjman who stated that the football
victories, like wars do shape the identity of a nation, Biliç has a different
perspective on football. He is aware of football’s character as a game, as a
part of entertainment and just before the 2008 European Football Championship,
he said: “With the greatest respect to women, football is the most beautiful
thing in the world.”

Football has a vital role in shaping the
Croatian national identity. Croatia can be regarded as one of the countries
where football is exploited widely by extreme nationalism. Within this occasion,
even his endeavor to be away from heroic statements is itself is a positive
attitude. Does it mean that Biliç may not be nationalist? Obviously not. But at
least we cannot get the reply of question through his statements. Considering
what kind of a nationalist pressure are those trainers of national football
teams, I think this is an essential feature of him.

Personally, as afan of Gençlerbirliği, I
would be pleasant to see that kind of man to be the trainer of my own team, who
pays importance on the beauty of the game. I cannot hide my jealousity when I
heard the rumors on a probable move of Biliç to Beşiktaş. For sure, we cannot
predict what kind of surprises are likely to wait for Biliç in a team who made
trouble with many top-quality trainers. Probably, Biliç would be thinking twice
before a move to a team who is likely to cancel contracts with some high
quality –and expensive- players, who is struggling with financial crisis and
thus who is likely to avoid expensive transfers.

But, apparently Biliç seems to be magnified
by Istanbul and fierce fans of Beşiktaş.